The Latest Bike News from Portland Area Sites
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May 15, 2008
Headed to the Gorge? Watch for tacks in the road
“The cyclist-haters out in the Gorge are at it again, spreading tacks across the Historic Columbia River Highway.”–From a BikePortland reader email With weekend temps promising short-sleeve weather, many Portlanders are planning to head out on their bikes and take in the grand vistas of the Historic Columbia River Highway beyond Troutdale. Unfortunately, from two reliable reports [...]
Crowds soak up sun, racing action at Mt. Tabor
These guys had the best seat in the park.(View Photo Gallery)(All images © J. Maus) After Tuesday’s opening Prologue, the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic made its way a few miles east to Mt. Tabor Park where over 200 of the nation’s fastest cyclists competed in a 1.3 mile, multi-lap criterium race. A warm sun, high clouds, and [...]
Caution: Man-eating streetcar tracks ahead
Anyone who’s ridden a bike in downtown Portland knows that streetcar (and MAX) tracks can be a bit tricky to navigate. Now, someone has modified a warning sign that takes it a step further. Check out this sign modification/vandalism/art I noticed yesterday… Sign is on SW 11th just before Taylor.(Photo © J. Maus) Be careful out there!
May 14, 2008
Bicycle Brown Bag: TriMet panel will discuss bikes and buses
Thursday, noon - 1 pm, 1120 SW 5th Ave, 2nd floor. Bring your lunch and your questions!
Clinton St Bike Boulevard Open House
Tonight, at St Philip Neri Church, 2408 SE 16th Ave, 4:30 - 7:30 pm.
People's Bike to Market Day!
People's co-op thanks cyclists with Bike to Market Day, today Wednesday May 14th From 2-7pm.
Pro Racers, coming to a school near you!
This Tuesday morning the sixth graders at East Sylvan Middle School were host to riders from the all star Healthnet Pro Racing Team. Little did I know at the time, but these guys are fast, really fast.
Why are bicycles key to the future of Portland (and other cities)?
“Bicycling is the most equitable and affordable form of transportation… All of Portland’s citizens already live within a 20-minute bicycle ride of our existing Regional and Town Centers and Commercial Main Streets.”–From a document produced by PDOT titled Bicycling Into Our Future Steve Dotterer with the City of Portland Bureau of Planning made a presentation about [...]
Get ready, get set, summer is coming!
Family friendly summer rides and walks sponsored by Safer Routes to School.
Event Notice: Clinton Street Bike Blvd. Project Open House
Read more or comment at Bike Portland
And they’re off! Racers speed along Portland waterfront
A rider leaves the start ramp. Waterfront Park is in the background.View the Stage 1 Photo Gallery(Photos © J. Maus) The Mt. Hood Cycling Classic got off to a fast start in downtown Portland last night. It was a surreal sight. All the northbound lanes of Naito Parkway were closed and lycra-clad pro bike racers sped [...]
Benefit for Hit and Run Victim
Jessica Osborne was struck by a hit and run driver on Rosa Parks Way where her injuries were so severe she nearly died. Jessica is recovering but now facing over 100,000 in medical fees. A benefit event is being helf for her on May 15th at Liberty Hall, 311 N. Ivy in Portland. The cost is $5 and there will music and fanfare....
Read more or comment at ORbike
May 13, 2008
From the Cyclists front: Two weeks of flapping..60-odd goslings in the air
One week ago was the first day I permitted myself to peruse a letter handed me on the last day of a two-week Safer Routes to School Bike Safety Education program at Rigler Elementary. The name alone was enough to tickle my "awww" instinct– "To: Jonathan's Crew." The day I received it I was busy–hastily throwing together [...]
Election Notes: The race for City Council Seat #1
Yesterday, I shared some thoughts (and asked for yours) on the race for Council seat #2. Today, we move to to the other hotly contested battle for City Commissioner being waged by six candidates, five of which are likely to garner a significant number of votes. This race features several impressive candidates and two [...]
News from Washington County
The segment is scheduled for tonight, May 13th, on KPTV's 10PM news.
Where Do People Bicycle? The Role of Infrastructure
Portland State University Center for Transportation Studies Spring 2008 Transportation Seminar Series Speaker: Jennifer Dill, Portland State University Topic: Where Do People Bicycle? The Role of Infrastructure in Determining Bicycling Behavior This seminar will present results from the BikeGPS study...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
Local manufacturer part of international sustainable design exhibition
Chris King hubs on display.(Photos: Swell2008 on Flickr) A Portland bike component manufacturer has been recognized for their earth-friendly production methods. Chris King Precision Components — based in Portland’s northwest industrial area — is part of the third annual Swell Future show, an exhibition of “future friendly design” being held in Vancouver, B.C. Chris King [...]
Portland on the Sundance Channel
Back in the fall, staff from The Green, a Sundance Channel, came to town to feature Portland as a bike friendly town. Mia Birk, a planner from Alta Planning + Design, played tour guide and showed them all around Portland as she spoke enthusiastically and eloquently about the benefits of cycling. You can watch a web episode short of the program featuring someone moving his household by bike. I got to make a brief guest appearance; I'm the one in the striped sweater. Watch the episode here...
Read more or comment at ORbike
Trek casting call: “Ride through real rush hour traffic” for $500
From the looks of a casting call (below) that made it’s way onto the Shift email list (via ExtrasOnly.com), Trek Bicycles plans to film an upcoming national commercial in Portland — and they’re looking for a few good bicyclists. Check out the flyer… For some reason, I love the “RIDING THROUGH REAL RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC!” part. (Click [...]
More bike month events: Bike to Market Day, PSU gets busy, and clinics galore
(Photos © J. Maus) I can’t really keep up with all the bike events these days — but below is an attempt to share a few that have come to my attention. By the way, in case you haven’t noticed, May is National Bike Month and it’s an ideal time to spread the word about biking to [...]
‘Black spot mirrors’ save lives in Amsterdam
Mirrors like this are being used in Amsterdam to reduce right-hook collisions.(Photos: Todd Boulanger) Here’s an interesting idea that was spotted by City of Vancouver transportation planner Todd Boulanger on a recent trip to Amsterdam. Boulanger visited the Netherlands in April to attend the Intertraffic Conference and he ran across what he calls a “new application of [...]
BTA raises $150,000 at Alice Awards event
Read more or comment at Bike Portland
May 12, 2008
The Numbers Are In: Alice Auction Reaches Fundraising Goal!
Generous donations of over 750 Alice guests reaches an all-time record.
Family Bike Commuting Workshop
The BTA's new "Getting Started in Family Bike Commuting" workshops start tonight at Clever Cycles. Two more this month at locations downtown and in outer SE.
ORbike Member Profile: Heather Andrews
ORbike member Heather Watson starts her e-mail messages to people with an enthusiastic, "Aloha!" That's because Heather, who is new to Portland, moved here from Hawaii, where she loved participating in organized bike events and triathlons. "The very first time a crossed the finish line in my first triathlon, what an amazing feeling. All that hard work and determination paid off and even though I was in pain it felt sooo good, I wanted to do it all over again."...
Read more or comment at ORbike
May 09, 2008
Press Release: Bicycling Magazine Names the Best Cities for Cycling
Read more or comment at Bike Portland
Beautiful Rural Routes
My life is pretty hectic these days, being a busy event coordinator gearing up for a summer season, and one of my favorite ways to relax is to ride my bike through the countryside, taking in the sights and smells of rural lands. That's why I love Reach the Beach. This spectacular ride is an opportunity to explore some of the most gorgeous areas of Oregon - without really lifting a finger. I mean, you do have to pedal your bike, there is no one to do that for you, but you don't have to worry about choosing a route,...
Read more or comment at ORbike
Open House planned for Clinton Street Bike Blvd. Project
Read more or comment at Bike Portland
Press Release: Blessing of the Bikes
Read more or comment at Bike Portland
May 08, 2008
Volunteer for the Urban Assault Ride
The Urban Assault Ride is happening for the first time in Portland! Help us make it a successful event by volunteering.
One Milliion Bicycles
Joe Kurmaski, AKA the Metal Cowboy, is working on a new project called One Million Bicycles. He describes it better than I do, so I thought I'd just include his video here:...
Read more or comment at ORbike
Commissioner Adams on the Sauvie span and PDOT’s budget crisis
Read more or comment at Bike Portland
May 07, 2008
Vancouver: Burnt Bridge Creek Trail closed for improvements
Read more or comment at Bike Portland
May 06, 2008
IBPI announces workshop on bike and pedestrian design
Read more or comment at Bike Portland
Most Gigantic ORbike Newsletter
Did you see that latest newsletter we sent out? It was huge - had to be an ORbike record. I tried, really hard, to cut it down, but man there are tons of great events happening, and it's not even summer yet. We strive to keep our newsletter timely, fun, concise and informative. But on this one, I really couldn't resist mention that Portland went Platinum, or Reach the Beach (coming right up on May 17th) or some cool perks you'll get if you're an ORbike member. I also loved getting to know Heather Watson, the latest person I've interviewed...
Read more or comment at ORbike
May 05, 2008
Press Release: ODOT now accepting bike/ped grant applications
Read more or comment at Bike Portland
Governor says May is Transportation Safety Month
Read more or comment at Bike Portland
May 04, 2008
Rider Profile: The Linssens
Urban Assault is a bicycle adventure scavenger hunt full of creative elements. The event has been a hit in other cities so the organizers are putting it on in Portland on May 25th. Barbara and Peter Linssen are just a few of the many people who are signing up to compete as a team. Barbara says they own tons of bikes, and they do all sorts of city fair weather riding, like going to the grocery. While they do have two young kids, Urban Adventure is all about these two adults taking a day off from the kids (Barbara considers...
Read more or comment at ORbike
May 02, 2008
A Personal Trails Invitation from David Bragdon
Chris, Readers of Portland are certainly invited to attend the start of our blue ribbon committee on trails next Monday, May 5 at 4:00 PM here at 600 NE Grand. Here's a link you can drive your readers to: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=27329...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
May 01, 2008
Rider Profile: Unicycle to the Beach!
It's impressive to ride to the beach in the awesome Reach the Beach ride, but it's even more impressive to get there on a unicycle. Bah! Crazy, no one would do that, you say. Well, in fact several Portland unicyclists are taking the Uni Challenge for this year's event. I ran into Michael (aka MJ Freshy Fresh) at the Pre-ride Party at REI and he admitted he's one of the ambitious unicyclists, so I asked him to tell me more. Is it hard? Does it hurt? Are you insane?...
Read more or comment at ORbike
Coming Up on the KBOO Bike Show: Honoring Fallen Cyclists
Sara and Tori will talk to Eric Tsai and Sarah Beiers of the Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund about how we can honor fallen cyclists of the past year and explore what new life and inspiration has grown in their memory....
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
April 29, 2008
Fundraising 101 Clinic
If you're riding, or considering riding, Reach the Beach, there is an easy-to-reach $50 fundraising goal. It's a snap - all riders do it. But let's say you want to get the really cool In-Focus home projector entertainment system, one of the fundraising prizes. How do you get to that level of fundraising? Well, first off, let me tell you that is achievable too! Fundraising, at it's most basic, is asking. And when the cause is something as important as clean Oregon air and healthy Oregon lungs, people will feel proud to support your efforts. Jennifer Baldwin, Development Director at...
Read more or comment at ORbike
Portland Awarded Platinum !
This just in from BikePortland.org: "Portland has gone Platinum. The League of American Bicyclists will officially announce later today that Portland has become the first major city in America to be designated as a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community. (The only other city to have reached the Platinum level is Davis, California with a population of 63,000.)" Some have argued that so long as cyclists are still involved in unsafe interactions with cars Portland cannot be designated a Platinum city. Others argue that there is still a lot of work to do a Platinum status will grant the planners a chance...
Read more or comment at ORbike
April 24, 2008
Calling all bike clubs
Oregon has a wealth of totally awesome bike clubs doing all sorts of neat tricks, and Cirque du Cycling on June 14th will bring them all together for the nation's largest bike pride parade. The parade takes place on Mississippi Avenue in Portland. Cirque du Cycling, a Mississippi bike fair in support of Self Enhancement Inc., features a family ride, the parade and criterium with two-way racing. For more info, to register to race or for the parade, see their website...
Read more or comment at ORbike
April 22, 2008
Reach the Beach is Hot!
Ridership for the 2008 Reach the Beach is off the hook! What's with all the activity? Well, for one, Reach the Beach is simply an amazing way to experience the beauty of rural Oregon. And forget planning what you'll bring and where you'll eat and how you'll get there on safe roads; Reach the Beach organizers have that all planned out and, in fact, have been offering that service for 18 years. On top of that, Reach the Beach is a fundraiser for the American Lung Association of Oregon so you can feel good about riding and supporting a great...
Read more or comment at ORbike
Portland Steel Bridge Construction
An important update from TriMet. The good news is that it looks like bike traffic will be largely unaffected....
Read more or comment at ORbike
April 21, 2008
Introducing ORrun!
ORbike would like to welcome the newest member of our family, ORrun.com! ORrun has been a great resource for several years now, but we've just started a running-specific newsletter and blog through ORrun.com. In this newsletter you'll find the same great news you've come to expect from ORbike - except we won't be talking about bikes. We'll cover everything from all the big marathons and triathlons to the plentiful fun runs/walks. We'll even keep you up to date on various training clinics, gear, and workout tips. But if running isn't your thing, we understand - continue to enjoy everything ORbike...
Read more or comment at ORbike
April 17, 2008
Bike to Your Local Earth Day Celebration!
Earth Day is April 22nd so towns and cities around Oregon are hosting community celebrations all weekend long. It was a gigantic Earth Day celebration in Chicago probably around 1989 that got me first inspired to recycle and later to ride a bike. The best way to get to your local celebration is by bike. Great activities are planned in Salem, Trail, Silverton, Portland and elsewhere. There are too many to mention here, but check with your local environmental organizations or search online. I spoke with John Mitchell with the Eugene celebration as he was running in and out of...
Read more or comment at ORbike
April 09, 2008
Take the survey on Metro-area bicycing conditions
Whether you bike a little or a lot, in the summer or all year long, BTA wants to hear about your experience. Please take this survey on Portland-area bicycling conditions. Every respondent is automatically entered in a prize drawing for...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
March 31, 2008
Cheesy but Informative
Our good friend and PDOT safety guru Greg Raisman asked us to post a link to PDOT's new video explaining how bike boxes work. [Greg is the informative driver in the video :-) ] See it here: http://media.ci.portland.or.us/onthemovesmooth/onthemovesmooth.html...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
March 14, 2008
Paris Vélib’
Gordon Price has one of the best overviews I've seen of the Paris bikesharing/rental program in his "PriceTags" #101 (PDF, 2.8M). Let's hope for a similar system here very soon. Speaking of bikes, I have a few spaces left ($75...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
March 07, 2008
KBOO Bike Show: Bicycle Evangelism
Listen to the show (mp3, 13.05 MB) With their missionary zeal and promises of a better, fuller life, some of Portland's bicyclists can begin to resemble evangelical Christians with their fervor and their conversion tactics. This month, Tori Bortman...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
February 06, 2008
KBOO Bike Show: Joe Kurmaski, the Metal Cowboy
Listen to the show (mp3, 19.6M) This month on the KBOO Bike show, Joe Kurmaski, aka the Metal Cowboy, aka Adventure Dad, will be on air with his kids to talk about their cross-country bicycle trip as a family....
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
January 31, 2008
Coming Up on the KBOO Bike Show: the Metal Cowboy
Author Joe Kurmaski, also known as the Metal Cowboy, and his kids will join us in studio to talk about their experience bike touring across the country as a family. We will also discuss a Camp Creative, a new summer...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
January 02, 2008
KBOO Bike Show: Ring in the New Year
Listen to the show (mp3, 36M) Ring in the new year with the KBOO Bike Show and get the year started on a bikey note. Carl Larson and Ayleen Crotty are hosting a bike music party in the KBOO...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
December 31, 2007
Coming Up on the KBOO Bike Show: Bikey New Year
We celebrate the new year with the Trash Mountain Boys live in the studio. We'll also be asking for your new year bikey resolutions and hopes for a great bike town. 9-10AM, Wednesday, January 2nd KBOO FM 90.7 Streamed live...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
December 05, 2007
KBOO Bike Show: Women for Bikes
Listen to the show (mp3, 22.5M) The KBOO studios just might catch fire with all the powerhouses on air for this month's KBOO Bike Show featuring the Women for Bikes program. Guests include Alison Hill-Graves from the Community Cycling...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
November 30, 2007
Coming Up on the KBOO Bike Show: Women for Bikes
The KBOO studios just might catch fire with all the powerhouses on air for this month's KBOO Bike Show featuring the Women for Bikes program. Guests include Alison Hill-Graves from the Community Cycling Center, Janis McDonald from the City of...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
November 27, 2007
Portland's Cycling History
Portland State University Center for Transportation Studies Fall 2007 Transportation Seminar Series Speaker: Eric Lundgren Topic: The Wheels of Fortune: Weather Prophet Pague, Governor Geer, & Portland's Original Network of Cycle Paths A little over a century ago Portland was...
Read more or comment at Portland Transport
November 16, 2007
REMINDER: We Are ALL Traffic
Update: There will be a number of bike rides from sites of fatal crashes to the Saturday rally. I will be leading one from NW 23rd and Quimby where Sara Cogan, a pedestrian crossing NW 23rd, was killed in 2006....
